Becoming One
by BuffyAngellover
Summary: Buffy lost her powers and Angel is the only one who can help her now. Complete
1. Part 1

Title: Becoming One  
  
Author: hisgirl  
  
Synopsis: Buffy has lost her powers and now only Angel can help her  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: The story is mine but the characters all belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.  
  
Spoilers: I think theirs some but I'm not really sure  
  
Author Note: Ok, I'll be the first to admit that I suck at writing. The fight scene at the end is really short so don't be too disappointed. I would still like to know what you all think though so send to SunGal3000@aol.com.  
  
Part 1  
  
"Cordelia, where's Angel?  
  
"Knowing him he's probably off brooding somewhere."  
  
"Cordelia this is serious!"  
  
"What could be so serious at 3:00 in the morning?"  
  
Gunn grabbed Cordelias' arm and dragged her to the doorway of the living room. Inside a young girl sat with a blanket wrapped tightly around her and her head between her knees. Her entire body shook with sobs. "I found her being attacked by vampires. Six of them Cordy!"  
  
"Why'd you bring her here? Plenty of people are attacked every day. There is only so much we can do."  
  
"Would you please shut up an listen to me for a sec." Gunn said, "I was able to kill some of the vamps and scare the rest off. I then asked if she wanted me to walk her home. That's when she started crying. She says that she has no home here. She doesn't even know how she got here. The last thing she remembers is going to sleep in her dorm and waking up here in LA. She's been here for two days and where ever she goes she's being attacked by demons and vampires." Cordelia raised her eyebrow. "It's true Cordy! On the way here we were jumped at least twice. Look, she has no where to go and if I just left her out there she would have been killed."  
  
"What do you expect us to do about it?" Cordelia said  
  
"Help her. I don't know how but just do. Try and find out why things are attacking her and why she's here."  
  
Cordelia let out a long sigh. "I'll go start talking to her."  
  
"Talking to who?'  
  
Cordelia and Gunn spun around to find Angel standing in the doorway. "Some girl Gunn found. She's being attacked non stop by demons and doesn't know how she got to LA."  
  
"Angel man, this is pretty bad. I think you need to go talk to her."  
  
Angel sighed and rubbed his face. He'd just been out fighting demons for most of the night and the last thing he wanted right now was a scared little kid on his hands. "Where is she?"  
  
Gunn walked into the room where the girl sat. Her head was still bowed. "Miss, this is my friend I told you about. He'll be able to help you."  
  
Angel walked over to the girl and knelt down in front of her. "Hi, my names Angel."  
  
The girls tear stained face suddenly rose. Angel jumped up in shock at what he saw. It can't be. This couldn't be the girl Gunn was talking about. It just couldn't be.  
  
Cordelia was the first to break the silence. "Oh, my God. Buffy?" 


	2. Part 2

Part 2  
  
They all stood there for the longest time. Buffy and Angel just staring at each other.  
  
She looks terrible. Was all Angel could thing. He was right. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying so hard and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her radiant smile was there no more and clothes were stained with blood and dirt. Angel, who was used to seeing this beautiful happy girl, was shocked to see that fear and hatred replaced the love in her eyes.  
  
"Um, I'm going to leave." Buffy said standing, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Angel I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your place. You know that I wouldn't have came here if I knew, especially after our last encounter, so I'm just going to go."  
  
"Like hell you are."  
  
With that Buffy turned around and finally met Angel gaze. "Buffy," he said slowly going up to her. "You're hurt and tired and if what Gunn says is true, you shouldn't be out on the streets." He had managed to get pretty close to her and thought he had won until.  
  
"I'll go to a hotel." She said backing off from him. "I'll call Willow from there and then she can come and get me."  
  
"Why not just call from here?" Cordelia piped in. Buffy just glared at her. "Sorry." She muttered walking out of the room.  
  
"Buffy, I'm not letting you out of my sight. If anything happened to you I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I can't let you get hurt."  
  
"Like you care if I live or die." Buffy called while heading to the door.  
  
Angel quickly ran in front of her and grabbed her by the arm. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Nothing." She whispered. "Just please let me go."  
  
"No."  
  
"Angel," she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Please."  
  
Then it registered. "You can't fight can you?" She looked down at the ground and nodded slowly. So that's why she hasn't tried to fight to get out of here. That's also why she looks so scared.  
  
"Angel, I don't know what to do. All the demons seem to know that my power is gone and every time I come close to contacting someone back home another demon jumps me or the phone line gets disconnected." She cried  
  
"Buffy, why didn't you come to me. You know I would have helped."  
  
"I tried to get in contact with you at your old office. No one was there though, and I didn't know where to even begin searching." She looked up at him. Her heart felt like melting. There she was standing in front of the man she once loved crying her eyes out. All she wanted was for him to take her into his arms but she knew that would be impossible. "I was scared to see you again too. When we last saw each other we were horrible and I just didn't know what you would say or what I would say and I didn't want..."  
  
Angel cut her off by putting a finger to her lip. "Shhh." He brushed the tears away from her cheek gently. "It's going to be ok. I'll take care of it."  
  
"Promise." She sobbed  
  
"Promise."  
  
They stood there like that for a few minutes. Each looking into each other's eyes and wanting so badly just to kiss the other one but they didn't. They couldn't.  
  
"You look tired." Angel said brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "Come on, why don't I take you down to my room and you can sleep there. Then in the morning we'll figure out what to do."  
  
Buffy nodded and slowly together they walked to Angels bedroom where she laid down and fell asleep with Angel stroking her hair. 


	3. Part 3

Part 3  
  
Buffy was very slowly coming out of her deep slumber. What a strange dream, she thought. She smiled to herself, glad that the nightmare was over and she was back in her own bed and in her own town. Or was she? Her hands traveled over something very silky and light. Her eyes slowly opened, she wasn't quite ready to wake up. Since when did I get silk sheets? Buffy popped up and looked around the room franticly. This wasn't a dream. She was actually here in LA in Angel's apartment. In Angels BED!  
  
"Good morning."  
  
Buffy looked over in the doorway and there he stood. He was just as beautiful as he was the last time she saw him. "Morning." She smiled shyly.  
  
He walked over to his bed and sat down next to her. "I called Giles last night and he and the gang are on their way here. When they get here I'll fix breakfast and we'll solve whatever is going on."  
  
"Breakfast?" Buffy looked at him with doubt in her eyes. "You cook?"  
  
Angel smiled. "Well, when Cordelia is your employee and when you call her here early in the morning, if you don't have food on the table, you're hounded all day."  
  
Buffy laughed at the thought of Angel cooking. She didn't care right now what kind of cook he was as long as it was edible. The last time she ate was nearly two days ago. Then she thought back to what he had said. "The whole gang is coming?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what Giles said. Why, what's wrong?"  
  
Buffy looked down at her hands not speaking. How am I going to tell him this? "Um, there has been a few additions to the gang." Angel continued to look at her. "Um, well there's Anya, Xander's girlfriend. Oh and there's Tara, Willows girlfriend and Riley, my boy who is a friend." She looked up at Angel and sighed. "Riley is my, my boyfriend."  
  
"Oh." Angel said moving off the bed and standing in the middle of the room. "I mean OH?"  
  
Buffy laughed nervously, "You wanted me to have a normal life. Someone who could take me into the light. Well that's him."  
  
Angel looked down at the ground. It was true, he had said those things to her but I guess he never really thought that she would find anyone to take her place. Then realizing no one was talking he quickly said, "I bet you want to freshen up before you see everyone. Cordy brought down some of her clothes and the shower is right through that door." He then hurried out of the room "Just come up stairs when your ready." He called back.  
  
Upstairs Cordelia and Gunn were getting ready for there company. They knew for certain that Giles would want to consult some books about something so they were giving their version of the library a good dusting.  
  
"So that's the Slayer huh?  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She's pretty."  
  
"Think so?"  
  
"Anyone who has eyes would thing so."  
  
Cordelia sighed, "Well lets just hope that Angel has some sort of self control."  
  
"What do you mean."  
  
Cordelia set down her duster. "On Buffy's seventeenth birthday they were captured by some demon. They managed to get away and they headed back to Angel's apartment. There they got groiny with one another, Angel lost his soul, and then he went about trying to end the world with two other vampires, Spike and Drusilla."  
  
Gunn looked at her with shock. She said all this as if it were nothing. "Well, are buddy Angel isn't soulless now. What happened?"  
  
"He brought forth a hell sucking vortex and if it wasn't closed soon every human would be sucked into hell. The only way to close the vortex was Angel's blood. Buffy went to the mansion where the vortex was, fought him and then ran a sword right into his gut. The sad part was that right before she did this, Willow was able to restore his soul. So Buffy sent her Angel to hell, not the evil killing and maiming Angel. Months later he got back from hell, Buffy helped him get better. Things seemed to be going fine for awhile but then all of a sudden he broke up with her and left to come here to LA."  
  
"Wow. Quite a history those two have huh?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
Knock Knock Knock.  
  
"That must be them. Cordy why don't you go get Buffy and Angel." Gunn said already heading to the door.  
  
Cordelia started down to the basement worried about what she would find there. What she did find, did shock her but wasn't what she expected. There at the egde of the bed sat Buffy. Her hair was sopping wet from her shower and she had tears in her eyes. Angel was no where in sight. "Buffy, everyone is here." Buffy wiped her eyes and gave Cordelia a quick smile and headed upstairs. "Angel!" Cordelia called. "Angel! Where are you? Everyones here!" Out of the kitchen came Angel. "Are you OK? I mean, Buffy was crying, you are so obviously brooding and."  
  
"I'm fine." And with that he headed upstairs Cordelia running after him.  
  
"Your obviously not fine. If you were fine you would have been by Buffy's side while she was crying and. who is the hunk with Buffy?"  
  
At the top of the stairs Angel and Cordelia could see into the library. There sat the whole gang and some new comers. They all looked pretty happy about seeing Buffy safe and sound. Especially one guy, who Angel guessed to be Riley. "That's Riley, Buffy's new boyfriend." Angel stated, trying to keep the dislike for the boy out of his voice but failing miserably.  
  
"BOYFRIEND!" Cordelia yelled.  
  
Angel glared at her. "Thanks Cordy, do you think you could say it any louder?"  
  
"Sorry, but, boyfriend? How come her boyfriend is here? Is she trying to pick a fight with you or something?"  
  
Angel sighed and walked into the library. "Angel!" Willow cried. She jumped up and ran to give him a hug.  
  
"Hey Willow. How's my favorite witch?"  
  
Willow blushed and hit him on the arm. "Fine." She smiled.  
  
Angel looked over at Buffy who had Riley holding on to her very protectively. "Um, Angel, that is Anya and Tara over there," Angel looked to see two girls smile and wave "and this is Riley." Buffy said nervously. Both men just nodded at each other.  
  
"Shall we get to work then?" Giles asked obviously trying to clear the tension in the room. "Buffy why don't you tell us everything that happened from the time you woke up here in LA."  
  
"OK."  
  
"Cordelia, Gunn, and I have heard this so we'll go down and start breakfast." Angel said  
  
"Deadboy cooks?!"  
  
Angel glared at the brown haired boy sitting on the sofa. "Nice to see you too Xander." 


	4. Part 4

Part 4  
  
"Angel, why don't I fry the bacon and you can cook the toast."  
  
"No, that's fine. I got a handle on things." Angel said standing by the oven staring absently looked at the wall, spatula in hand.  
  
"Angel man, I don't thing people want burnt bacon." Gunn grinned  
  
"Huh, what?" Angel said popping back to reality. "Oh! Sorry." He handed the spatula over to Cordelia and headed to the toaster. "I was just thinking about. things."  
  
Cordelia gave him a side-glance. "This thing doesn't have any thing to do with a certain slayer we both know and her new friend, would they."  
  
"Cordelia, please. I'm over Buffy. I'm also very happy for her. She's moved on and she has the normal life I always wanted her to have. Why would I be upset? Just because she's upstairs now, with some guy drooling all over her, and touching her knee, and."  
  
"Angel you're babbling."  
  
Angel sat down in a chair and put his head in his hands. "I don't like him Cordy. There's something about him."  
  
"Angel, are you sure that you not liking him doesn't have to do with the fact that him and Buffy are dating?" Gunn said  
  
"Yeah, maybe your right." He sighed. "I'll just help get all this straightened out and then everyone will go back home to Sunnydale and everything will be back to normal." Angel stood up and went upstairs  
  
Gunn started setting the table. "I've never seen Angel talk that much."  
  
"We rarely do."  
  
Once everyone had gone downstairs and ate their share of food, Xander maybe more, they got to work. Willow and Tara were looking for a spell to protect Buffy, Giles, Angel, Xander and Anya were looking in books for anything useful, and Buffy and Riley were training. Trying to see if any of Buffy's strength was left. It went on like this for hours. Buffy and Riley occasionally stopping to kiss and making Angel almost destroy the book he was reading while turning the pages.  
  
"OOOOOOOOO!" Anya yelled. "I think I found something." Xander started to read over his girlfriend's shoulder.  
  
"Honey, how do you know you found something? This is in a different language."  
  
"Well, I just thought I would bring some hope to people. I mean everyone looks so gloomy." She set down the book on the table. "I say we quite for now and go have sex Xander. I'm bored."  
  
"Anya, honey, not now. Buffy's in danger and so therefor until we find something there will be no. you know."  
  
Angel's eyes then widened. He snatched the book off the table and started to read it. "Anya, I think you found something." He said in disbelief  
  
"Oh goody, now we can have sex."  
  
Giles, ignoring Anya, stepped over to Angel and Buffy and Riley stooped their training and went over there too.  
  
"Oh God," Angel handed the book to Giles. "I can't read all of it but from what I can get, it's not good."  
  
"What does it say Giles?" Buffy asked, clutching Riley's arm  
  
"Um, well, hold on, I have to decipher this. It looks like it may be a prophecy." Giles chewed on the end of his glasses "Ok, I got it. Light and Dark will meat again. Light hurt, Dark at his prime. Dark will cure Light and they will become one. Light will then die of jealousy"  
  
Buffy looked at everyone all in turn; they were all as confused as she was except for Angel and Cordelia.  
  
"Well, let me be the first to say, HUH?" Xander said, "I mean who is Light and Dark and why would this be any help to us?"  
  
Angel then stood. "Excuse me." Then he ran downstairs Cordelia trailing behind.  
  
"What's wrong with Queen C and Deadboy?"  
  
"I'll be right back." Before anyone could protest Buffy shot downstairs.  
  
The scene before her when she arrived at Angel's room shocked her. Angel was rushing around the room throwing clothes and weapons into a bag and Cordelia trying to stop him.  
  
"Angel you don't know if that's you that they are talking about."  
  
"Yes I do!"  
  
"Angel, please, you can't do this."  
  
"I'm not going to hurt her again."  
  
"You're not going to hurt her!"  
  
"If I stick around I will!"  
  
"How Angel huh? If you're this hell bent on making sure she's safe do you really think that when the time comes you'll hurt her?"  
  
"Cordelia, you heard what the book stated. Light and Dark will meat again. Light hurt, Dark at his prime. Dark will cure Light and they will become one. Then Light will die from jealousy"  
  
"Ok, what the hell does that mean in the first place?"  
  
Angel slumped down on the bed. "You want the footnotes?" Cordelia nodded. "Light is Buffy and Dark is Riley. Riley will find a cure for whatever is going on with Buffy and then they will be together. Then I'll get jealous, loose control and."  
  
"And what?"  
  
"The demon will come out and kill Buffy." He whispered  
  
"That's a very good theory but why would Riley be considered Dark and the key problem, Buffy and Riley have already met and are together." Cordelia sat down by him on the bed and put a hand on his shoulder. "What's really going on Angel?" Angel sat there with his head in his hands not speaking. "Fine," Cordelia jumped off the bed. "You can leave and keep everything to yourself instead of telling everyone what's going on and solving it!"  
  
"Leave me alone Cordelia." Cordelia then stormed out of the room not even noticing Buffy standing by the door. That was Buffy's cue to come in. She walked over to where Angel was sitting, head still barried in his hands, and gently touched his back.  
  
"I said leave me ALONE!" Angel yelled  
  
"Not to me you didn't." Angel's head popped up to be greeted by Buffy's face. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and kiss her passionately. "What's going on Angel. I heard everything you told Cordy, but I agree with her that Riley can't be whoever this Dark is and, that you're making a lot of this up."  
  
Angel got up and started packing more things into his bag.  
  
"What's going on Angel? Please tell me, I don't care how bad it is. If it leads to my cure then I want to know." Angel was silent. "Angel." She stood up and got right in his face. "Tell me. You know you can trust me."  
  
"I can't trust you and you shouldn't trust me."  
  
"Don't you dare try to tell me what I should and shouldn't do." Angel then suddenly pushed Buffy out of the way with such force that she hit the wall with a smack. Buffy looked at him with shock. He just continued to pack. Buffy stood up and stalked over to Angel and punched him right across the jaw. "I may have lost my slayer abilities but that doesn't mean I can't kick your ass."  
  
"FINE! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG? Well, I'll tell you. Light is you, Dark is me, and Riley is jealousy. Your cure is me giving you some of my power. After I do that we have a bond that can not be broken by anything. So like the book says 'we become one' and then Riley gets mad, will try to separate us but what he doesn't know is that if we were separated, one of us would die. That one is you." He looked her straight in the eye. "Do you believe me? Do you believe that your precious Riley could do that to you?"  
  
Buffy stood there not knowing what to say. She wanted to believe Angel but it was to hard to thing of Riley as evil.  
  
"That's what I thought." Angel turned and picked up his bag to go.  
  
"Wh-what would you leaving solve?" Buffy barley managed to get the words out.  
  
Without even looking at her Angel said, "If I leave, you can't be cured and therefor you won't die."  
  
He started to leave but Buffy ran and caught his arm. "NO. I won't die the way the book says. I will die though. Angel, demon after demon is after me. They all want revenge for what I've done to them. They won't stop until I'm dead and in the meantime demons are starting to take over because no one is out there fighting them."  
  
Angel was still silent. He didn't know what to do.  
  
"Why don't we go upstairs. You can say what you said to me and we'll figure out what to do."  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Angel please. The longer we take the more people die."  
  
He looked down at the ground. "I don't want to hurt you again." He whispered "If I stay."  
  
"If you stay I might have a chance to live." Buffy said finding his eyes. 


	5. Part 5

Part 5  
  
"Angel, how do you know all of this?" Giles asked  
  
They were all sitting around in the living room. Buffy had sent Riley home saying that Sunnydale needed protection while they were trying to figure things out. Angel had just finished telling them what he knew and to say they were shocked was an understatement.  
  
"Last night, while I was sleeping, the oracles called me to them. They gave me this same passage and said when I hear it, I will understand what it means."  
  
"Yeah, but that was just a dream. Dreams can mean a lot of things." Anya commented  
  
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Cordelia yelled out and slid to the floor. Instantly Angel was by her side  
  
"Vision?" He asked  
  
"You betcha." She said while clutching her head  
  
Angel looked at every one else. "She has visions of the future now. That's how we know who to go help."  
  
"Yeah and they hurt like hell. Can someone go get me some aspirin?"  
  
"Oh, here." Willow said handing Cordelia two pills and a glass of water. "It's not aspirin. I made it myself. It works instantly."  
  
"Your right it does." Cordelia said swallowing the two pills. "You know, you could market these and make a fortune."  
  
"Cordy what did you see?" Angel asked desperately  
  
She right away looked at Giles. "Angels not lying. I just saw Buffy and him kiss and then their was screaming and then a white flash and all of us at a grave."  
  
Giles sighed. "Well it looks like we have a problem on our hands."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Buffy asked  
  
"I'm leaving, that will solve."  
  
".nothing, I've already explained that." Buffy said  
  
"Well what else do you propose we do?"  
  
"The cure. We will perform the ritual for the cure and then we'll deal with Riley when the time comes."  
  
" I don't even know what the cure is. All I know is that I have to give you some of my abilities and we don't even know if that's going to make you like a vampire. You could turn evil, or not be able to go into the sun or."  
  
Buffy went up to him and looked him straight in the eye to silence him. "Willow, why don't you and Tara go through your spells. See if anything helpful is there, while the rest of us will continue with research on this ritual."  
  
Well into the night all of them sat, still trying to make things right again. Willow and Tara were close to discovering what they needed for the ritual but they were all still pretty much clueless on what would happen if the ritual worked.  
  
"This is useless!" Buffy yelled slamming her book down on the table. "We've been at this for hours and still nothing! Giles, I don't want to do this ritual if it's going to give me horns or a tail or something."  
  
"Don't worry Buffy, I'm sure something will come up." Tara consoled  
  
"I think I've found that something." The room's attention focused on the ex librarian. "Yes, I've found something alright. Oh, dear."  
  
"Oh dear! No, don't 'oh dear', Giles." Buffy panicked  
  
Giles looked straight at Angel. "I'm afraid this will be rather painful for you Angel." Angel straightened up and took a deep unnecessary breath. "Do you remember when Spike wanted to cure Drusilla?" Angel nodded slowly at the painful memory. "Well, the ritual we have to do is exactly like that one except it won't kill you. It will make you human."  
  
"This is a bad thing because?" Buffy smiled. She couldn't help it. Her Angel would be human and they could be together finally. Her face fell when she saw Angel. He looked worried. Boy, you would think he would be happy about becoming human again after all these years.  
  
"Buffy, if Angel turns human then the wounds that are inflicted on him are more likely to kill him. He won't have the ability to heal fast anymore and his super strength will probably be gone. I'm afraid this will be unbelievable painful for him, while you on the other hand will feel completely fine when we're finished."  
  
"Oh," Willow yelled running into the room. "I just found what we need for the ritual. It's all pretty simple. Cordelia says that all the ingredients are here so we can start whenever. It will drain you of everything though Angel. It exactly likes the curse that."  
  
"We know Wil." Xander whispered  
  
Buffy swallowed "What are the chances that he's going to die?"  
  
"That's the interesting part. It's completely up to you if he dies or not."  
  
"Well it's settled. I don't want him to die so therefor he won't." Buffy looked down at where Angel was sitting and sighed. She had been there the last time this ritual was performed. She even took care of him afterwards. "This is completely up to you, you know? I know what kind of pain you went through last time and it will be worse this time around and. what do you want to do?"  
  
Angel took her hand and simply said, "If I don't do this, you'll die. I'm not going to let you die."  
  
Buffy smiled at him. "Dido." 


	6. Part 6

Part 6  
  
They had cleared out all of the furniture in the room and right in the middle was where the spell would take place. A rope hung from the ceiling and wrapped around Angel and Buffy's waist. A shorter rope hung right beside it and there was where the two ex lover's hands hung. Both wrapped around the others in reassurance.  
  
Buffy smiled up at him. "You're sure you want to."  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
Xander, Anya, Cordelia and Giles all stood off to the side ready to move in if anything happened. Willow and Tara stood next to the Slayer and Vampire chanting. Suddenly a dagger was struck right through the entwined hands. Angel let out a blood-curdling scream while Willow and Tara still chanted. A flash of white light came and the witches were done chanting. They walked over to the group to the side.  
  
"How long do we leave them like this?" Cordelia asked looking at her two friends. Buffy just stood there feeling the power that was coming into her, she had to meditate all through this or it wouldn't work. Cordelia had no idea how she could do it with Angel right in front of her shacking from all the pain.  
  
"Five minutes." Willow said also looking at the two  
  
"As soon as the five minutes is up we need to get Angel downstairs and in bed. Its up to Buffy after that." Giles said  
  
"How is Buffy supposed to cure him?" Xander asked. "He'll be human, so he can't drink her blood or anything else vampires might need."  
  
"Love."  
  
"What?" Everyone said at once  
  
"Angel is going to want to give up on life from all the pain he'll experience. The only thing that will make him want to stay is the one thing that makes him the happiest."  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Exactly." 


	7. Part 7

Part 7  
  
Angel's whole body shook from all the pain. No matter what the others did the pain kept coming in fresh waves. Buffy looked at his pain stricken face. She wished there were more she could do. For the past week she had been sitting by his bed holding his hand and gently stroking his head. In the past night things had taken a turn for the worse. His fever had spiked and he'd broken out into a cold sweet. All Buffy wanted was to take him to a hospital but Giles said they would be of no use. The painkiller and medicines might even make him worse.  
  
Slowly Angel started to open his eyes. His vision was blurred and the only thing he was aware of was the searing pain through out his body. A warm hand suddenly squeezed his.  
  
"Angel?" Someone asked. He slowly turned his head to see a beautiful blonde sitting by him. The love of his life. "Hi." She smiled so sweetly. His body was telling him to sleep but he was afraid that if he closed his eyes she'd go away.  
  
"Buffy?" He slowly asked. Talking was also painful, but he would do anything for her.  
  
"Yeah, it's me." She said slowly stroking his brow. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"It hurts. Why does it hurt?"  
  
Buffy looked at him confused. "You don't remember?" Angel slowly shook his head no. "Angel sweetie, what was the last thing you remember?"  
  
"Y- you telling me that you wouldn't let me d-di- die." He swallowed  
  
"You don't remember the ritual?" he stared at her blankly. "Angel, I lost my slaying ability and the only way to get it back was for you to transfer your powers into me."  
  
Angel sat up abruptly holding his head as the memories of the spell came trickling back. "I remember." He choked. He then collapsed in pain. Buffy's arms were instantly around him.  
  
"Willow is working on a spell to make you feel better." She laid him back down. "Right now you need some rest. You've been slipping in and out of sleep all week."  
  
"All week?"  
  
Buffy smiled at him. "Usually humans that are hurt that much would die after a day. But you're still alive."  
  
"Human?"  
  
Buffy took his hand in hers and put it on his chest. He felt it moving up and down and there was a faint thumping where his heart used to be. "I completely forgot that the spell." He reached over to Buffy and pulled her in for a kiss. They both sat there, Angel ignoring his pain, and kissed lightly. It soon turned more passionate and desperate until finally Buffy broke away breathless. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have." It was now Buffy's turn to pull him to her kissing him until Angel couldn't ignore the pain any longer and cried out.  
  
Inches from his face Buffy looked up into his chocolate eyes with worry. "Sleep."  
  
"Promise to be here when I wake up." He breathed  
  
"Always."  
  
Angel then drifted off to sleep with his lover's face painted in his head. 


	8. Part 8

Part 8  
  
"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said they could fight." Anya said one afternoon. The whole gang was standing around watching Buffy and Angel train. Today was the first time that Angel decided he was strong enough to fight her.  
  
He was very hesitant at first but everyone cheered him on. What did it though was when Buffy said "Come on Angel, you've been out of bed for a week. What, are you just scared?" So there they were. Training for the day that Riley would come to take Buffy's life. It was just like old times. Anticipating every move the other made, sparring like they did years ago in the mansion. Suddenly Buffy caught him off guard and flipped him over on his back and made a gesture like she was staking a vampire. "Gotcha." She beamed  
  
"Very well done you two." Giles applauded  
  
"I don't get it Giles." Angel said heaving Buffy off of him. "I thought once I became human that I would loose all of my powers, but I can fight Buffy all the same as before."  
  
"Hmmm, I'm going to have to consult my books on this one. The books clearly stated that you would be completely human with no effects of you being a vampire."  
  
"Hey, I'm not complaining or anything! I was just curious."  
  
"Yes but still."  
  
"BUFFY! PHONE!" Cordelia yelled from the next room  
  
Buffy ran into the office and picked up the receiver. "Hello?" she asked breathlessly  
  
"Hey honey, you sound out of breath. What's going on?"  
  
"Riley!" She said looking at Cordelia. Getting the message right away she ran into the other room to tell Angel the killer was on the other line. "Umm, I was just training you know?"  
  
"You got your abilities back? That's' great!"  
  
"Yeah it is." She said while Angel was walking into the room, he picked up the other line to listen to the conversation.  
  
"So that means you'll be coming home soon. You must be going insane with that vamp by your side at all times."  
  
"Yeah, huh, umm, we need to talk about that." She shot Angel a warning glance "I'm not coming home any time soon. I was going to stay here for a while."  
  
"Why, you goin' to spend time with your dad or something?"  
  
"No not exactly. There's no way to gently put this so I'm just going to say it. I want to break up with you. Angel and I have gotten back together kinda.""  
  
"WHAT! I thought you two broke up in the first place because he would loose his soul if he got to happy go lucky with you."  
  
"Well, we sort of solved that problem."  
  
Riley snorted on the other line. "Solved. How?"  
  
"Um, well, he gave me his powers and so that led him to be human. To put it bluntly."  
  
"So now that he's just human you're going to dump me and get back together with that blood sucker?"  
  
"Yes." Buffy said her voice rising.  
  
"Well, I don't except that."  
  
"Well except it Riley because it's happening! It's not like I every really loved you in the first place!"  
  
"That's it, I'm coming up there and am going to talk some sense into you." Then the line went dead.  
  
"Damit!" Buffy slammed down the phone. She looked at Angel. "Angel, we aren't ready for him yet! We need at least another week to prepare!"  
  
Angel crossed the room and took her in his arms. "Don't worry," he then gave her one of his oh so famous half smiles, "either way we'll kick his ass."  
  
Cordelia came into the room to see the two in each other's arms. "When's he coming."  
  
"Knowing him, he's on his way here now." Buffy sighed, "Probably not alone either. When he gets mad. lets just say, he can't ever do his own dirty work."  
  
"Oh goody! More problems!" Cordelia said.  
  
An hour later, the wind was howling outside and not a star in the sky shone. Buffy and Angel sat in the foyer waiting for Riley to show. The rest of the gang hid in spots all throughout the room, weapons ready incase things got out of control.  
  
"Angel, I don't think Riley would try to kill me. In Cordelias vision, she didn't see Riley try to kill me; she didn't even see anyone try to kill me! When I think of Riley, I don't think evil like the prophecy said. I'm telling you, he's not capable of doing this."  
  
"Maybe he's not but I am." Buffy and Angels eyes grew as they spun around to face about a dozen vampires. Among them, was one they all knew to well.  
  
"Spike!" They said in unison 


	9. Part 9

Part 9  
  
"Hello children." The Brit. smiled  
  
"What are you doing here Spike?" Angel growled  
  
He just laughed. "Funny story that is. You see I was out on a hunt when I saw Riley out walking around. He was upset over something and being the caring person, excuse me, vamp I am, I asked him what was wrong. You know what he said?"  
  
"No, but I bet you're going to tell us." Buffy glared  
  
"He said that you pet, had just broken up with him for Angel! Now, on one hand he was very mad but on the other hand he said he understood. Angel was your first love after all. What he was worried about though, is how he acted on the phone to you. He said that he felt really bad about what he said and as soon as he saw you he was going to apologize and wish you and Angel the best of luck."  
  
Angel advanced towards Spike with a stake in hand. "That still doesn't answer the question why you're here."  
  
Spikes smile turned into pure evil. "I asked Riley right before I left if he wished he could just fight you right then and there. Seek a bit of revenge, you know? He said he would like nothing better then to get revenge, but he wasn't about to do it." Buffy dropped her stake tears in here eyes, with the realization of what Spike had done. "So, I killed him, promising to get his revenge for him."  
  
"No." Buffy whispered as she dropped to her knees.  
  
Spike walked over to her and knelt before her. "That's right cutie. Your ex lover is worm food."  
  
Buffy looked up at him. Tears streaming down her face. "You bastard."  
  
"Oh! Such foul language slayer!" Spike stood. "By the way, he was very good. Went down nice and slow."  
  
That did it. Buffy stood up and threw herself at Spike and the battle begun. Angel took some of Spikes minions out with the help of the rest of the gang around the office. Arrows flew and vampires turned to dust as blood spilled form the others. Spike and Buffy were unaware of all this though. Kicking, punching and anything else Buffy could think of she unleashed to Spike. True, she never really did love Riley, but he didn't deserve to die. Especially by the hands of Spike. Her rage was building and just when she thought she had him he spoke. "I hear my sire is human huh?" Buffy just kept kicking. After a blow to his stomach he gasped out. "So that means the knife that is stuck into his side right now could kill him." Buffy quickly turned around and looked around the room everyone was still fighting except for a passed out Angel.  
  
"Oh God. Angel."  
  
"That's right pet. Your lover boy is hurt." And with that Spike jabbed the forgotten stake on the floor into Buffy's lower back. She screamed in pain not knowing what had happened. Spike pulled the piece of wood out and turned her around. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have to go make revenge for Riley." Buffy was dropped to the ground and Spike walked over to where Angel was. Spike picked the now conscious Angel up off the floor and vamped out. "Isn't this ironic? You turned me, now I'm going to turn you."  
  
"Over my dead body." Spike dropped Angel and spun around just in time to get a stack in his heart. "Nobody messes with my boyfriend." Buffy smiled and Spike was dust.  
  
Buffy quickly went down to Angel's side. "Are you ok?" He barley whispered.  
  
She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks. "How about you."  
  
Angel reached his hand up to wipe away her tears. "I love you." He said right before he passed out.  
  
Part 10  
  
"How 'ya holding up?"  
  
It was a cool breezy night. Both Willow and Buffy sat in the graveyard looking at the fresh grave. Things seemed so much different now that they were back in Sunnydale. After the fight, Buffy helped get Angel in bed and then left. He wasn't even conscious when she departed. There were things that needed taken care of right away. Riley's body for one, and she had to calm her mother down after disappearing like that.  
  
"He was an innocent in all this." Buffy shook her head "I should have killed Spike years ago. If I did then maybe."  
  
"Maybe Angel wouldn't be human right now. Changing one thing in your past changes a lot of things in your future." Willow said. They were quiet for a moment longer. "I guess the prophecy was wrong. Light didn't die."  
  
Buffy shook her head. "I could have died. If I did one wrong move, Spike could have killed me." She sighed and then laughed "Light will die from jealousy" she quoted. "Riley wasn't evil, he was good and therefor part of Light. His own jealousy killed him." She looked at Willow. "I guess the prophecy wasn't so wrong after all."  
  
"Guess not."  
  
Buffy looked up into the now light sky. "I better head back to LA. I think Angel is going to already be upset that I left without him even knowing. Or even being awake for that matter."  
  
Willow smiled "You two back together?"  
  
"I don' know. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."  
  
"Cordelia where is she?"  
  
"Angel for the millionth time, she had to go back to Sunnydale. Now please sit down, your still hurt pretty bad and."  
  
"She could be hurt or."  
  
"THAT'S IT! Either you sit down or I'm going to have to imply force and you don't want that."  
  
"What's going on here."  
  
Cordelia turned around. "Buffy! Thank God! Maybe you can make him sit down." The she turned to glare at her boss and left.  
  
"Where have you been?" Angel exclaimed  
  
"Hi to you too!"  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just."he sighed "I wake up again in pain, I have no idea what's going on, and you're gone. I don't know if your hurt or even dead and."  
  
Buffy strolled up to him quickly and pressed her lips to his. "Cordelias right you know? You should be resting."  
  
Angel gave her a smile, all his worries forgotten, and tossed her on the bed. "Resting isn't exactly what I had in mind." Then he leaned forward and caught her in a passionate kiss. Buffy rolled over on top of him.  
  
"Rest." She said  
  
Angel smiled and kissed her some more. "Maybe later." He answered in- between kisses.  
  
Later that night, both warriors lay wrapped in each other's arms, exhausted from their day's activities. Neither one of them worrying about a soul or a certain counterpart demon. Both just looking into each other's eyes lovingly.  
  
"Are you going to rest now?" Buffy asked pleadingly  
  
Angel leaned in for a kiss. "You still my girl?"  
  
"Always." She breathed, and both lover met with a single kiss and fell asleep in each others arms to become one, once again.  
  
The End 


End file.
